MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. urged on Wednesday, March 6, the Australian government to continue its active engagement to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region as he thanked them for consistently supporting the rule of law.

In his country statement during the leaders’ plenary session of the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit in Melbourne, President Marcos acknowledged Australia’s consistent support to all ASEAN-led mechanisms, which is evident in the 50 years of its dialogue partnership with the region.

“We appreciate the evolution of Australia’s strategic approach towards the region from the mere confines of the Asia-Pacific to our now wider common interests in the Indo-Pacific,” President Marcos told Australia and the ASEAN leaders.

“We thus encourage Australia to continue its active engagement both bilaterally and through ASEAN to ensure the primacy of peace and stability through confidence building, preventive diplomacy, and conflict resolution in the region,” he added.

He also thanked Australia for consistently supporting the rule of law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award through statement of support and capacity-building and academic initiatives to mainstream appreciation of international law.

The Philippines and Australia are marking its 78 years of diplomatic relationship this year since its establishment on July 4, 1946.

President Marcos and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed an agreement, elevating the bilateral relationship of the Philippines from comprehensive to strategic partnership during the Prime Minister’s visit to the Philippines in September last year leading to the two countries’ conduct of the first bilateral maritime exercises over the West Philippine Sea in November last year.

Australia serves as the second home to around 408,000 Filipinos and Australians of Filipino descent. (PND)